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^ * E 241 THE 

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Copy 2 

BURNING OF FALMOUTH 

(Now Portland, Maine), 

BY CAPT. MOWATT, IN 1775. 



BY 



WILLIAM GOOLD, 

OF WINDHAM, MAINE. 



Piepared at the request of the Maine Historical Society, and read before it Feb. 19, 1873. 
Bi'l rinted from tlie New-England Hist, and Gen. Register for July. 



BOSTON: 

FOR PEIVATE DISTEIBUTIOX. 

1873. 



THE 

BURNING OF FALMOUTH 

(Now Portland, Maine), 

BY CAPT. MOWATT, IN 1775. 



BY 



WILLIAM GOOLD, 

OF WINDHAM, MAINE. 



Prepared at the request of the Maine Historical Society, and read before it Feb. 19, 1873. 
Reprinted from the New-England Hist, and Gen. Register for July. 



BOSTON: 

FOE PRIVATE DISTEIBUTION. 

1873. 



E 741 



Edition of 200 Copies. 



(3^. 



^ 

». 



DAVID Clapp & Son, Printers. 



BUENING or FALMOUTH L\ 177,5. 



Within a few months an article lias appeared in tlie Ameslury (Mass.) 
Journal on the Sparhawk family of Kittery, by Mr. John G. Whittier. I 
have not seen the article itself, but the following which pnrports to be an 
extract, has Jaeen copied into several papers : 

"In 177"i Capt. Mowatt, of the British war shiji Canceau, witli three 
other armed vessels, anchored off Portsmouth, under orders to bombard 
and destroy the town. He privately went on shore and entered the spacious 
Sparhawk mansion, at Kittery Point. He became so ftiscinated with Mary 
Sparhawk that she persuaded him to save the town and tail to Portland, 
then Fahnouth, which he laid in ashes."' 

I have no knowledge of the authority for this statement." It probably 
rests upon tradition, but I think it is an error. That there was a Jliss 
Mary Hirst Sparhawk, of the age of about twenty years, then living at her 
father the Hon. Nathaniel Sparhawk's splendid mansion at Kittery Point, 
there is no doubt. That she was fascinating, is equally certain ; for history 
says she fascinated Dr. Charles Jarvis, of Boston, and married him. On 
the death of her husband she returned, about the year 1788, to the home of 
her childhood, and died there in 1815. One of her brothers, Wm. Pepper- 
rell vSparliawk, in compliance with the will of his grandfather, Sir William 
Pepperrcll. had succeeded to bis house, title, and the most of his large 
estate. By an act of the general court, hedio]iped the name of Sparhawk, 
and became AVilliam (afterward Sir William) Pepperrell. lie with all the 
family adlicred to the mother-country at the breaking out of the revolution. 

' We learn tliat Mr. Whiitier pnve this tradition upon the aiitliurity of Brewster's 
Bitinliles About Portsmouth, 2i scr., p. 187. 



The coufiiscation act of 1778 swept away all liis property except the plate, 
which was very valuable, and which was by that act allowed to be removed. 
Two or three pieces were given to individuals and are still preserved, but 
what remained was considered of such value that Col. Moulton, of York, 
with six soldiers, was ordered to guard its conveyance to Boston for ship- 
ment to its owner in London, whither he had gone in 1775. He died there 
in 1816, aged 70.' 

It is well known that, during the colonial troubles, the Sparhawk house 
was the rendezvous and hiding-place of most of the chief loyalists of the 
vicinity. Both of my great-grandfathers were Kittery men : one of them 
sent his oldest son to Bunker Hill, and both took the opposite side to the 
Sparhawks. The feme of the tory gatherings at that house has been 
handed down as a family tradition. The fires of hospitality still burn in the 
broad fireplaces of this now restored home of colonial aristocracy. Your 
society and their invited guests will recollect their polite recejition at this 
house, on their tour to York and Kittery, in the autumn of 1871. Capt. 
Mowatt, in the British sloop-of-war Canceau, had been on the New-England 
station a year or more, and no doubt had, while patrolling the eastern coast, 
often visited the fine harbor at the mouth of the Piscataqua ; and as the 
Sparhawk house and its occupants were prominent among the celebrities of 
that aristocratic neighborhood, he had probably often been their welcome 
guest. We can readily imagine him landing from his boat at the stairs at 
the foot of the lawn, where a few years before the elder Sir Wm. Pepiier- 
rell had kept his barge, and negro crew in uniform, and entering that long 
avenue of elms whose stumps wo saw, now sad monuments of vandalism. 
The house has been restored in the original style, but the elms cannot be in 
one generation as they were when the British captain, in knee-breeches 
and buckles, laced coat with ruffles at his hands, cocked hat with gold loop 
and button, hurried over that ornamental pavement (yet perfect, although 
130 years old), to spend an hourwilh the courtly Miss Mary, while waiting 
for the ebb-tide to take his ship to sea. This was not only a splendid man- 
sion, but, like an eagle perched on a crag watching its prey, from its elevated 
situation he could watch the colonists in their little vessels far at sea. No 
one would better appreciate this scene and its surroundings than Mr. Whit- 
tier, nor is there one who could describe it in more befitting verse. We 
know that young ladies, of Miss Sparhawk's age and station, often have 
great influence with men in power. Sacred history tells us of one who, on 
Herod's birth day, danced before him and pleased him so much that at her 
request he save her the head of the moral censor wlmliiid displeased him ; 

' Sec an article on tlie reppcrrcll Gencalogj' by the late Uslicr Parsons, M.D., in the 
New-England Hist, and Gi;n. RroisTiiU, vol. xx. pp. 1 — 6. 



but I think there was no hint tiiat Miss Sparhawk practised any blau- 
dishments before the naval commander, only that he became so fascinated 
that at her request be spared the neighboring town, and poured out liis 
"wrath on poor devoted Falmouth. 

After this long |)reface, we will examine the authentic history of the 
transactions at Falmouth, during the colonial difficulties, and tefore the 
burning, which will show that Mowatt had a grudge against the town, and 
that Admiral Graves, who commanded the British fleet then blockading 
Boston, had said that if certain things were done, " he would send an armed 
force and beat the town down about their ears." These things were done, 
and no doubt Mowatt was too glad to execute the orders he had solicited 
from the admiral. 

My authorities for this narration of facts, are principally the journals of 
of the two ministers of the town, begun long before and kept through the 
revolution. That of the Rev. Thomas Smith was compiled by Samuel 
Freeman, Esq., in 1821. Mr. Freeman was a native of old Falmouth, and 
witnessed the commotions until a short time before the bombardment. He 
was elected sole delegate from Falmouth to the provincial congress, and 
was in attendance at its session in Watertown. He held that office, by 
reelection, three years, during two of which he was secretary of that body. 
His public services well qualified him to compile the journal, and to supply 
those copious notes and explanations which his edition contained. Copies 
of his edition are now very rare. I know of only one perfect copy. It is 
to be regretted that Mr. Willis felt compelled to omit, in his edition, the 
most of the appendix to Mr. Freeman's, which contains his notes and 
explanations. I have a distinct recollection of Mr. Freeman fifty years ago, 
whose venerable figure, in the costume of colonial times, occupied the dea- 
con's seat beneath the high pulpit, and facing the congregation, in the old 
wooden church of the first parish in Portland. He died in 18.31, aged 87 
years. 

Having given my authorities, I will proceed with my sketch, which I 
think will explain why the town was burned. 

The people of the county of Cumberland, and especially those of 
Falmouth, began early to express indignation at the acts of Parliament 
bearing on the colonies. Soon after the passage of the odious stamp act of 
176.5, a vessel arrived at Falmouth from Halifax witii tlie hated stamps, and 
they were deposited in the custom-house. The people immediately assem- 
bled and marched to the custom-house, demanded and received the stamps, 
then fixed them to the top of a pole, carried them in procession through the 
streets, to a fire prepared for the purpose, and burned them. 

In 1774 in a town meeting the citizens "resolved that we will not buy 



nor sell any India tea whatever, after this third day of Feb. until the act 
that lays a duty on it is repealed." There were then 2500 lbs. of tea in the 
hands of the dealers in town. Another resolve, passed at this meeting! 
acknowledges their obligation to '' the people of Boston, for their early 
notice of approaching danger," and for " their intrepid behavior on the 
late tea-ships' arrival, and trust they will still be our watch-tower, and they 
may depend on our utmost endeavors to support them at all times, in 
defence of their rights and liberties." Also, " we rejoice that though 
surrounded by fleets and armies, you yet remain firm and resolute." At 
the close of the proceedings the town " voted that a committee be chosen to 
meet committees of other towns to consult on the alarming state of public 
affairs." 

On the day of the closing of the port of Boston, June 14, 1774, the bell 
of the meeting-house in Falmouth was muffled and tolled from sunrise 
until nine o'clock in the evening. The result of the vote of the town in 
February, inviting other towns to choose delegates to meet their's, was 
that a county convention was held at Mrs. Greele's little one-story tavern^ 
in Falmouth, on the 21st day of September, 1774. 

This was the first political county convention held in Cumberland, of 
which the record has been preserved. It was composed of thirty-three 
delegates from the nine old towns of the county. Although a hundred 
years save one, have intervened since it was held, there has been no im- 
provement on the course then adopted to secure a true expression of the 
popular will. The people of the country towns chose their delegates who 
attended, and then they went themselves, to see that their delegates obeyed 
their instructions, as the record shows. After organizing by the choice of 
the Hon. Enoch Freeman for chairman, and his son Samuel Freeman, our 
historian, for clerk, the record says : " A committee from the body of the 
people who were assembled at the entrance to the town, waited on this con- 
vention to see if they would choose a committee of one out of each town, 
to wait on Mr. Sherift'Tyng, to see whether he woidd act in his office under 
the late acts of Parliament for regulating the government." By these acts 
the appointment of all civil officers was taken from the people and vested 
in the ci-owu, 

SheritF Tyng was summoned before the convention and attend(^d, and 
subscribed to a writtcTi declaration " that he would not as sheriff of the 
county, or otherwise, act in conformity to, or by virtue of, said acts, unless 
by the genei'al consent of said county." This declaration was voted to be 
satisfactory to the convention. 

While these proceedings were going on in the convention, the people from 
the country had marched to the town house. The record continues : " The 



convention then formed themselves into a committee to accomjiany Mr. 
Sheriff Tyng to the body of the people, to present the declaration." The 
people '' voted it satisfiictory, and after refreshing themselves, returned 
peaceably to their own homes." 

The convention met again in the afternoon, and a committee, of whom 
Samuel Freeman was chairman, reported a long and spirited preamble and 
resolutions, which were adojited. Tiie second resolution would, if carried 
out now, be a public benefit. It was as follows : " That every one would 
do his utmost to discourage lawsuits, and likewise compromise disputes as 
much as possible." " Each member was interrogated separately, and pledged 
himself not to accept any commission under the late acts of parliament." 

Mr. Freeman says his notes, after he left Falmouth, were transcribed from 
the letters of a gentleman in Falmouth to his friend in Watertown. The 
friend in Watertown was no doubt himself, as he was then in attendance at 
the Provincial Congress, and the only delegate from Falmouth. From 
some circumstances and expressions I am led to believe that the writer of 
the letters was Gen. Jedediah Preble, a leading merchant of the town, and 
a member of the committee of inspection. 

Capt. Samuel Coulson had been for several years engaged in the mast 
business between Falmouth and Bristol, England, from whence he came, 
and had married a daughter of the elder Dr. Coffiu, of Falmouth, and 
resided in the doctor's house on King street. He had built a very large ship 
for those days at the foot of his street. She was of 1000 tons. To ship 
masts required large vessels. 

Capt. Coulson was violently opposed to the popular sentiment of the 
colonies, and made himself very obnoxious to the people. On the second 
of May, 1775, a vessel of Coulson's arrived from Bristol, with rigging, sails, 
and stores, for the new ship. There was a committee of inspection, com- 
posed of leading men of the town, one of whom was Samuel Freeman. 
This committee was called together at the library chamber the same day of 
the arrival of Coulson's vessel. 

There was a compact between the colonies called the " American 
Association," the provisions of which may be understood from what took 
place in the committee meetings. Coulson was by vote desired to attend 
on the committee. In answer to questions he stated that the vessel was 
from Bristol, with stores and materials for his new ship. A sub-committee 
was chosen to go on board and see if there were any other goods there. 

At an adjourned meeting of the committee the next day, it was voted that 
to allow Capt. Coulson to land his goods, and appropriate them to fit out 
his new ship, would be a violation of the " American Association," and 
directed that they be sent back to England without breaking the packages. 



8 

This was communicated to Capt. Coulson by a sub-committee. Coulson 
immediately attended, and said tlie vessel must be repaired before she could 
go to sea, and in order to do that the freight must be lauded ; but the vote 
was adhered to, and the proceedings of the meeting were by vote, posted 
up in a public place in the town. Instead of obeying the order to return 
the goods to England, Coulson left for Boston, under the pretence of asking 
leave of the provincial congress to rig his ship, and procured the assist- 
ance of Capt. IMowatt in the sloop-of-war Canceau, to aid and protect him 
in rigging and loading his ship, and proceeded to land his materials. 

During the excitement caused \>y Coulson's bringing, the vessel to assist 
him in violating the provisions of the Association, on the 21st of April news 
arrived of the battle of Lexington. On the 23d a town-meeting was held, 
and spirited proceedings were adopted, notwithstanding the Canceau was 
lying in the harbor, whose commander, Coulson, and others were constantly 
urging to make some demonstration. The news of the battle of Lexington 
set the whole country in a blaze of excitement. At Falmouth a company of 
60 soldiers was raised and hurried oft' to Cambridge. 

Next came, what Mr. Freeman calls, " Thompson's war." On Tuesday, 
the 9th of May, Col. Samuel Thompson, of Brunswick, with about fifty 
soldiers, came in boats and landed secretly on the north side of the neck, 
and encamped in a grove of pines. Each man had a small sprig of spruce 
in his hat ; and a small spruce tree with the lower branches cut off" was their 
standard. They seized and detained several persons who happened to pass 
that way, in order to conceal their camp from the towns-people. About 
one o'clock, P. M., Capt. Mowatt, his surgeon, and the Rev. Mr. Wiswall, of 
St. Paul's Church, were walking for pleasure in the vicinity, when they 
were seized and made prisoners. As soon as Lieut. Hogg, then in command 
of the Canceau, heard of the capture of Capt. Mowatt, he sent a threaten- 
ing letter on shore. Gen. Preble, in a letter to the provincial congress dated 
on the 14th, says " he clapped springs to his cables and swore if the gentle- 
men were not released before six o'clock, he would fire on the town. He 
fired two cannon, and although there were no shot in them, it frightened 
the women and children to such a degree that some crawled under the 
wharves, some down cellar, and some out of town." 

Some of the prominent men of the town visited Thompson's camp to. 
urge the release of the prisoners. Thompson and his men were inflexible, 
but night coming on, they concluded to march the prisoners to Marston's 
tavern for a more sheltered consultation. The soldiers, including a Fal- 
mouth company which had assisted in the escort, were paraded in front of 
the house. Thompson argued that open hostilities between the colonies 
and the mother-country existed ; that Providence had thrown the prisoners 



9 

ill Ills way, and that they were riglitly held. He finally found that the 
whole town was against him, and at about nine o'clock he concluded to 
release them, by their giving their parole to come on shore the next morn- 
~ing ; Gen. Preble and Col. Freeman pledging themselves for them. The 
principal reason given by the Falmouth men for urging tlieir release, was 
that several vessels were daily expected with corn and flour, of which the 
town stood very much in need. 

Parson Smith, in his journal, under date of the 26th of June, says: — 
'• People are apprehensive of a famine, there being a scarcity of corn and 
flour." A few days after, he mentions the arrival of three vessels, " with 
corn and flour." "So we are plentifulty relieved from all fears of famine. 
Blessed be God." 

At the appointed hour of nine, on Wednesday morning, Thompson began 
to look for his prisoners, but none came ; whereupon his men became furi- 
ous, and seized their sureties, Preble and Freeman, and kept them all day 
without dinner. In the afternoon they sent to Mowatt to know why he 
did not keep his parole. His reply was, that one of his men whom he had 
sent on shore to his washerwoman, had overheard several threats from sol- 
diers to shoot him as soon as he made his appearance, and he declined 
coming. During the afternoon a large force of militia from the country, 
numbering five or six hundred, arrived, and being greatly enraged on learn- 
ing of Mowatt's release, threatened violence to Gen. Preble and Col. 
Freeman, the sureties. 

All the officers of the militia, including those of Falmouth, next resolved 
themselves into a board of war, for the examination of tories, and sum- 
moned several persons before them. Some came. The Rev. Mr. AViswall 
had not gone on board the ship, and attended ut the appointed time. In 
answer to questions, lie declared his abhorrence of the doctrine of passive 
obedience and non-resistance, and was released. Several others were 
examined, but none were punished. To keep peace and secure his release 
with Col. Freeman, Gen. Preble was obliged to furnish the troops with 
several barrels of bread, a quantity of cheese, and two barrels of rum for 
each company. 

The soldiers entered Capt. Coulson's house and took what they wanted, 
and used the house for a barrack. Some of them became exhilarated by 
the liquor found in Coulson's cellar, and one, named Calvin Lombard, went 
down to the shore and fired two balls from a musket, deep into the side of 
the Canceau. The fire was returned from a " fusee," but no damage was done. 

Thursday, the 11th, was a general fast, which Gen. Preble and Col. 
Freeman were not prepared for, as the soldiers had obliged them to fast the 
day before. 



10 

The soldiers seized one of Coulsoii's boats and dragsjed it throiigli tlie 
streets, to a place of safety, aud the next day they seized one of Mowatt's, and 
hauled it to the same place. Mowatt threatened to fire on the town if they 
■were not returned, 1>ut Mr. Freeman's friend writes to him at Watertown 
that "he has not fired yet, and here I sit writing at my desk in the old 
place, being fully convinced that Mowatt never will fire on the town in any 
case whatever." He also • writes : " the soldiers have to-day carried oflT 
Mr. Tyng's Bishop, a piece of plate worth 500 pounds, old tenor, and his 
laced hat." These were afterwards returned to Mrs. Ross, the uKJtlier of 
Mrs. Tyng, by a resolve of the provincial congress. Tlie property 
destroyed in Coulsou's house, and value<l at 140 pounds lawful money, was 
paid for by authority of the same resolve. 

On Friday afternoon, the last of the soldiers loft town, nnich to the 
relief of the people. On Saturday, Mowatt made another demand for the 
boats, but Thompson's men had taken them away when they left. Ou 
Monday, Mowatt and Coulson sailed with their ships for Portsmouth and 
Boston. 

On the 8th of June, the Senegal of IG guns, Capt Dudington, arrived 
from Boston, and anchored near the islands, and on the 12th Coulson 
arrived again in his new ship, and anchored near the Senegal. Shei'iflf 
Tyng, who had taken refuge with his friends in Boston, was with Coulson. 
In reply to a letter, Capt. Dudington of the Senegal wrote the committee 
that " his orders were to protect the persons and property of his majesty's 
fiiithful subjects and not to distress them." 

The wives of Sheriff Tyng and Capt. Coulson were permitted to go on 
board the ships ; but the committee would not consent that Coulson should 
have his masts with which he had intended to load the ship, as he was 
a declared enemy of the town. On his arrival, the people had floated them 
up the harbor out of his reach, the provincial congress having passed a 
resolve to prevent tories taking their property out of the country. 

Coulson next sent an armed boat to the mouth of Presumjiscot river, 
ostensibly for water, but in reality to look out masts and timber for a cargo 
for his ship. The people seized his boat, guns and men, but finally released 
his men. Coulson finding he could not get his masts and was losing his 
boat, sailed without them. These masts were secured in a cove at Cape 
Elizabeth, near Vaughan's bridge, where they remained over 60 years. All 
left of them in 1835 were built into Sawyer's wharf, at the foot of High 
street ; and they are now covered by Commercial street. 

After Capt. Coulson had left Boston for Falmouth to take in his masts, 
Capt. Craudall, of Harpswell, was taken by one of Admiral Graves's fleet 
and carried into Boston, and on his release he reported his interview with 



11 

the admiral. After the burning of the town, to prove that it was done by 
order of the admiral, Capt. Crandall's sworn statement was procured. I 
here copy a part of his affidavit from Freeman's notes : 

" That sometime in the mouth of .June last, I sailed from Ilarpswell for 
Salem, and on my passage there I was forcibly taken by an armed vessel 
and carried into Boston. And being in the presence of Admiral Graves, 
he asked me if such a man-of-war (he named her, but I have forgotten her 
name) had arrived at Falmouth. I answered that I heard she had. He 
then asked me if I thought she would be opposed by the people. I answer- 
ed I could not tell. lie then asked me if Capt. Coulson was loading at 
Falmouth. I replied that I had heard he met with such opposition from 
the people as to prevent it. Upon which the admiral said : ' You may tell 
them that if they will not let him load, I will send a ship, or ships, and 
beat the town down about their ears.' 

(Signed) Philip Ckandall. 

Sworn to on the 1 of Jan. 177G, before Wm. Sylvester, 
of Ilarpswell, Justice of the Peace." 

Dr. Deane says (page .341 of his diary) : " Capt. II. Mowatt, of Scot- 
land, obtained, by his most urgent solicitation, an order from Graves, &c." 
Mr. AVillis, in his History of Portland, page 518, says : "The vessels came 
here direct from Boston, and no doubt can be entertained but that the 
order proceeded from Admiral Graves, who then commanded on this station, 
whose mind had been influenced by the representations of Mowatt, Coulson, 
and others." In a letter from Gov. Bowdoin to Gov. Pownall in London, 
dated in Boston in 1783, he says " The town was wantonly burnt, by order 
of Admiral Graves." 

From the authorities quoted I think aH will be convinced that the 
bombardment was by Admiral Gra\es's orders, in consequence of repre- 
sentations from Mowatt and Coulson. 

I will now give a condensed sketch of the burning. The facts are prin- 
cipally taken from the letters of the Hon. Enoch Freeman, chairman of the 
committee of safety, to his son Samuel in Watertown, with the statements 
of other eye-witnesses. 

On the IGtli of October, 1775, the people of Falmouth were surprised by 
the arrival below of a squadron of four armed vessels and a store-vessel. 
The wind being fresh from the northwest the vessels anchored near the 
islands. When the people learned that Capt. IMowatt was in command, 
they supposed he had come for sheep and cattle, for the British forces in 
Boston. As there were large stocks of cattle on the islands, the enlisted 



12 

men composing one company and ]iai-t of another were at dusk sent down 
quietly to guard tlie slieep, cattle and hay. 

The next day, Tuesday, the wind being still ahead and very strong, the 
vessels warped up the harbor, and anchored in line in front of the town. 
By a drawing still preserved, we are enabled to fis the position and rig of 
each vessel. The Canceau of 16 guns, the flag-ship, was anchored opposite 
the foot of India street. Next above was a schooner of 1 2 guns. Then 
the ship Cat of 20 guns, ojiposite Union wharf, and a bomb sloop above 
all. The store-schooner took a station below the armed vessels. 

Late in the afternoon, Capt. Mowatt sent an officer on shore with a letter, 
in which he said the town had been guilty of the most unpardonable re- 
bellion, and from having it in orders to execute a just punishment on the 
town of Falmouth, he gave two hours for the removal of the •■ human sjicrii' " 
out of the town, at the period of which a red pennant would be hoisted at 
the main-top-gallant-mast head, with a gun. 

Dr. Deane says: "Near sunset he made known his errand liy a flag (of 
truce), with a letter full of bad English, and worse spelling." 

The Rev. Jacob Bailey of Pownalborough, Vt'ho had been officiating at St. 
Paul's church after ISIr. Wiswall had left, says in a letter : " The officer 
landed at the foot of King street amid a prodigious assembly of people and 
was conveyed with uncommon parade to the town-house, and silence being 
commanded, a letter was delivered, and read by Mr. Bradbury, a lawyer ; 
but not without such visible emotion as occasioned a tremor in his voice." 
After repeating the contents or import of the letter, he says : " It is im- 
possible to describe the amazement which prevailed on the reading of the 
alarming declaration. A frightful consternation ran through the assembly ; 
a profound silence ensued for several moments. Then a committee of three 
was chosen, one of whom was Dr. Coffin, brother of the wife of Capt. 
Coidson, to wait on the commodore." This and much more is from the pen 
of one who received his support from tlie mother country and was a loyalist. 
His description of the bombardment, and the fright of the people, makes the 
scene appear almost ludicrous. 

Besides Dr. Coffin, mentioned by Mr. Bailey, (len. Preble and Robert 
Pagan were on the committee. It is worthy of remark that this committee 
were all Episcopalians, and members of St. Paul's parish. The conunittee 
immediately went on board the Canceau. In answer to their remonstrance, 
Capt. Mowatt informed them that his orders from the admiral did not au- 
thorize him to give any warning to the inhabitants, but they required him 
to come " opposite the town with all possible expedition [not to r/o info 
Portsmouth.'] and there burn, sink and destroy," and that he had taken it 
upon himself to give warning, at the risk of losing his commission. 



13 

The committee say, '"we expostulixteil with liim upon the severity of sncli 
orders, and entreating that if possible some method miglit be fallen upon to 
save the town ; or at least to give the inhabitants an opportniiity of moving 
- some of their effects ; upon which he said, that if the inhabitants would in 
the morning, by eight o'clock, deliver up four pieces of cannon which were 
then in the town, with their arms in general, and ammunition, he would in 
that case do no harm to the town until he had despatched an express to the 
admiral, who he did not doubt would order him to save the town. And as 
a token that his demand would be complied with, he required that eight 
small arras should be delivered up by eight o'clock that evening, which 
should be the condition of the town's being safe until eight o'clock the next 
morning. 

The committee told him that his demands would not in their opinion be 
complied with, but tliat they would inform the town of his conditions. The 
committee communicated the result of their interview with Capt. Mowatt 
to the people, who were waiting in the town-house. No vote was taken, 
but it was thought best to send the small-arms that evening, in order to 
gain time to remove the sick, witli the women and children, and what 
jiroperty could be got away that night. 

AVednesday morning, the 18th, the citizens met, and "resolved by no 
means to deliver up the cannon and other arms," and sent the same com- 
mittee with the answer. 

I must digress a little here to supply a little historical matter not found 
in the books. By examining Mr. Freeman's notes, it will be seen that 
there were no cannon in Falmouth .at the time of Mowatt's visit in May, 
and that he had sent a letter on shore then, saying that he hail heard that 
cannon were to be brought from the counti'y to destroy his ship, and 
threatened to fire on the town in case of such an attempt. 

We lind, at the burning in October, that there were four cannon in town. 
There is no written account of where these guns came fi'om. I am glad to 
be able to explain this. In 1743 the Massachusetts colon_y furnished the 
eastern frontier-towns with small cannon to defend their timlier-forts against 
the Indians, and to give the alarm to other settlements in case of an attack. 
Windham's share of these guns was a long nine-pounder iron gun, which 
was mounted in front of the fort, within the stockade, to fire as an alarm gun, 
and two swivels, one for each watch-box at the diagonal corners of the fort. 
This nine-pounder and one swivel, it is well known, were carried to Fal- 
mouth when mother England began to be more feared than the Indians. 
These guns were finally put on board the privateer Reprieve, Capt. Stone, 
of Falmouth, in 177G. 

Gorham did not fare quite as well as Windham in the distribution of the 



14 

guns : tliey got only two six-pound swivels, which were in their fort in 
1775. One of them was fired when the Indians attacked the settlers in 
1746, which brought twelve armed men from Falmouth to their assistance. 
Of course they were in duty bound to assist their deliverers. These two 
guns, tradition says, were carried to Falmouth at the commencement of the 
revolutionary troubles, and an effort was made to have them returned, but 
without success. It was undoubtedly these four guns which Mowatt tried 
in vain to secure. Perhaps one reason why the Falmouth people hung to 
them with such tenacity, was that they were borrowed. 

We will now return to the negotiations about these guns on Wednesday 
morning. We left the committee on their way to the ship, with the answer 
of the town's people to Mowatt's demand. They were directed to spend as 
Ions; a time on board as possil)le, to give time to secure more property. They 
remained on board until half-past eight o'clock, when they were requested 
by Mowatt to go on shore. lie probably felt sore at the refusal of the 
citizens to be disarmed. The committee obtained half an hour to get out of 
the way themselves. 

Prompt at the moment of 9 o'clock, the dreaded signal went up " to the 
main-top-gallant-mast head with a gun " on board the flag-ship, followed 
immediately by the blood red pennant on all the other vessels: an appro- 
priate color under which to commit such a dastardly act. 

Col. Enoch Freeman, in his letter to his son, says : " the firing began from 
all the vessels with all possible briskness, discharging on all parts of the 
town, which lay on a regular descent towards the harbor, an horrible shower 
of balls from three to nine lbs. weight, bombs, carcasses, live shells, grape- 
shot, and musketballs. The firing lasted, with very little cessation, until 
six o'clock, P. M., during which several parties came on shore to set buihlings 
on fire. Parties of our people and others from the neighboring towns ran 
down to oppose them, and it is thought killed several." 

I am writing this in a house the frame of which was partly raised that 
morning. The men employed heard the guns ten miles off', and knew what 
they meant, and they hurried away to the assistance of Falmouth. 

Of the parties who landed to set fires, one officer was struck down and 
disarmed near the present custom house, according to Dr. Deane. 

I saw, 50 years ago, a tin speaking-trumpet, nearly eaten up by rust, which 
was taken from an officer with a torch in his hand. This, with several can- 
non-shot, was kept in a closet under the high pulpit of the old meeting- 
house of the first jiarish. The shot had pierced the venerable structure, 
and set it on fire ; but the fire was extinguished. This trumpet and the 
shot were then kept there as mementos of the burning. One shot is still 
preserved. I have never seen this trumpet alluded to in any account of 
the bombardment. 



15 

None of the town's people were killed, and only one was wounded. Widow 
Alice Greele, who kept the fashionable tavern of the town, saved her house 
b}' remaining in it, and extinguishing the flames when it caught fire. The 
selectmen, in a published statement, say that about three quarters of the 
buildings, including 130 dwelling houses, St. Paul's (Episcopal) church 
with the bell, the town house, a new fire-engine, and the public library were 
consumed. Only one or two wharves escaped the flames. "What vessels 
were not consumed were taken away by the enemy, for such we must now 
call them. 

On Pointer's draught, already mentioned, every house, and store, and 
public building is drawn as it stood before the fire ; those which were des- 
troyed are so marked. This draught was sent to Dr. Deane to correct, 
which he did. In a letter to i\Ir. Freeman on the subject, he says : " Let 
barns, &c., be placed where you can recollect any, and perhaps it would not 
be amiss to make some where you do not recollect any." It w^as then the 
intention to have it engraved immediately, but this was not done until 
1849. 

The first tears I ever shed for another's misfortunes were, I think, for the 
suttering women and children of Falmouth. I often heard their story re- 
peated by an old lady, who lived near my fiithei's, until I was afraid to go 
home in the evening for fear of meeting Mowatt, or some of his incendiaries, 
with a fire-brand. This good woman, at the time of the burning, lived in 
the town, in " Clay Cove." Her husband had enlisted in the continental 
army, intending to leave his wife and child in their snug home in Falmouth. 
On the arrival of the ships he was one of those who went to the islands to 
guard the cattle and sheep, and could not retiu'n until the firing had com- 
menced. His name was Barton, and he was then about "28 and his wife 20 
years old. Mrs. Barton remained in her house waiting for her husband, 
until the hot shot and shells began to fall near, and several of the neighbor- 
ing buildings were on fire, and her own dwelling had become untenable. 
She could wait no longer. She tied up her only feather bed with some 
small articles of clothing in a sheet, and slung it over her shoulder. She 
then took her little boy on her other arm and fled from the burning town. 
To reach a place of safety she was obliged to walk nearly a mile through 
the most thickly settled part of the town, with the ships in full view. 
Several times bombs with their smoking fuses fell near her, and she quick- 
ened her pace to escape the explosion. With many others she took shelter 
under the high ledges near the Casco street church, which have since been 
blasted away. The vicinity was then a gi-ove of oaks, which gave Oak 
street its name. A 3 lb. shot fell near her, which she secured. Here her 
husband found her on his return from the islands, and here they remained 



16 

until nearly nif^lit. "When the firuig had slackened they ventured out, and, 
after depositing their bed in a jjlace of safety, walked to lier fatlier's in 
Windham, eleven miles; one carrying the child, and the otiier the cannon 
shot, and occasional!}' changing. 

Their dwelling and household goods were burnt, and they were compelled 
to begin the world anew. Barton and his wife's father built a small log 
house half a mile from the father's, and here he left his wife and joined 
Capt. Richard Mayberry's comjiany as corporal. This was the fifth com- 
pany of the eleventh regiment of the Massachusetts Baj- forces, in the army 
commanded by Gen. Gates at the capture of Burgoyne in 1777. This com- 
pany was also in the battles of Monmouth and Hubbardston. At the end 
of his term of three years service. Barton left the army, and was ])aid ofl' in 
paper money which was almost worthless. He came home and went to 
work witli a will, but was soon after killed by a falling tree. His widow 
suffered many hardships in her poverty, but a government pension very 
much relieved her declining years. She died in 1841, aged 80. 

On the day set apart for the commemoration of the soldiers' services and 
suft'erinsrs, I am careful that Barton's grave is not forgotten. 



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